Re: CF0.91.8??/lighting code ideas

[woodruff@cadence.com (Ken Woodruff)]

> [Mark and Brian discuss lighting]
>  A more general approach that would probaly be slower, but more interesting
> would be for each space to have a light transfer value.  For example, if
> you are in extremely dense bushes, any light source you are carrying isn;t
> going to illuminate much (low transfer value.) [...]
> 
>  There should then be some perception level.  Perhaps below 50 it is just
> darkness.  [...] 

I assume by darkness you mean blackness?  If speed weren't an issue graphically
I think we could achieve a fascinating effect by using a gamma graded color map.
Basically for every legal color in a crossfire pixmap (I think there's currently
28 or so?) we allocate say 4 gamma values, then choose the appropriate gamma based
on the light intensity in a given square.  If we use a percentage scale we could
break the choice of gamma into quintiles, i.e. 0%-20% intensity is black, 20%-40%
the lowest gamma value, 80%-100% full intensity.  This would make it possible for
certain creatures could be nearly invisible in low light conditions if colored
appropriately (like a panther in a dense jungle).  Beware the Grue...
 
>  This would also add in uses for varying intensity light sources.  If you are
> carrying an arc lamp through those dense bushes, you will still have light
> for a few spaces.  But a candle even in some open area won't do you much
> good.

This touches on another feature of Crossfire which I think could use some 
work--namely map scale.  I see (primarily) 3 scales in existing maps, which I'll
term building, city and world.   These seem to correspond (roughly) to 10, 100,
and 1000 feet per square.  Adding a scale attribute to a map would enable 
lighting code (and perhaps spell ranges?!) to be adjusted based on where
the user is (i.e. a torch should not light the entire left half of the
continent, but it should light a whole room.)  This raises another question...
why is it always daytime in Crossfireland?

--Ken

+------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Ken Woodruff           | "In every jumbled pile of person    |
| woodruff@cadence.com   |  there's a thinking part that       |
+------------------------+  wonders what the part that isn't   |
| Disclaimer: What tote  |  thinking isn't thinking of."       |
| bag full of $20 bills? |          --They Might Be Giants     |
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